Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) applications are now open for Round Three of the Stronger Communities Programme (SCP);

(b) the SCP has:

(i) invested in thousands of worthwhile projects applied for by small community groups and organisations which would often not have received funding another way; and

(ii) had a positive impact on the lives of all kinds of Australians, supporting youth sporting clubs, community halls and clubhouses, surf lifesavers, aged and day care facilities among many more;

(2) welcomes the funding allocated to all successful projects under Rounds One and Two of the SCP, including the Caloundra Woodworking Club’s grant of $15,000 to enable the construction of an extension to their building and the grant of $8,700 to Caloundra Surf Club which enabled the purchase of an inflatable rescue boat;

Last week we celebrated Mental Health Week, a time when many different community groups gather in their communities and people like us, politicians, help them to celebrate it. We live in a world that is so interconnected through computers and mobile phones and yet where we are so dissociated from each other, our families and friends, and I think that is a sad indictment of us all as a society.

However, one thing that is a shining light, which helps build communities, is the federal government's Stronger Communities Program. As everyone knows in this place, the Stronger Communities Program provides grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 to community groups throughout our various electorates for capital projects. Eligible projects include new buildings and equipment; scoreboards; computers; upgrades to community halls; clubhouses; equipment for aged-care and day-care facilities; art works; rescue boats; generators and many more. In total, the Turnbull government has spent $45 million on the program between 2015 and 2017, and we are spending a further $22½ million in 2017-18.

In my own electorate of Fisher, we have seen the huge benefits that this program can deliver. Caloundra Woodworking Club has more than 110 members and offers not only great equipment but also a community focal point for its members. This is what I am talking about with the significance for, particularly, mental health. It is about bringing communities together. The one thing we all want as human beings is to belong. Whether it is to a footy group, a woodworking group or a soccer club—it doesn't matter what it is—we all desire to belong to something or someone.

The Caloundra Woodworking Club have regular teaching sessions and sharing of knowledge and help members to develop their skills and bring new people into the craft. The club has deep links with local businesses, like Bunnings, and other community groups, like the Caloundra RSL. Members make everything from cheese boards to intricate sculptures, fine furniture, harps and guitars. The Caloundra Woodworking Club received a grant last year for $15,133. This has allowed them to complete an extension to their existing building for an expanded machinery work area and external housing for the dust extractor plant. The club are now looking into how they can use their extended facilities to produce a wider range of work and to introduce new programs to encourage more men and women to get involved.

Organisations like the Caloundra Woodworking Club really personify what the Sunshine Coast and the Stronger Communities Program are all about. Although we are a growing community, the Sunshine Coast is still in some ways like a small country town. We recognise the importance of looking after each other. At the Caloundra Woodworking Club, people don't just work with wood; they provide a service to each other by offering a listening ear and a community of spirit to belong to. As Lola Kerlin, the club's president, said. 'It's not just about a better work environment for them; it's actually going to make them a lot happier too.'

They're not the only organisation that has received funding from the Stronger Communities Program. The government has already funded 27 projects in Fisher, with hopefully another 20 to come in the current round. The many and hugely varied projects that the government has funded include upgrades to the bathroom facilities at C&K Childcare in Mooloolaba; a new inflatable rescue boat at Kawana Waters SLSC; and the building of benches, chairs and a new cafe floor for the Gateway Care Community Hub in Caloundra.

The government should be commended for its vision in understanding the role that these small community projects play in enriching lives and improving mental health for all Australians. It should be commended further for extending this program for another year. Applications for round 3 of the Stronger Communities Program are being assessed as we speak.

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